Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

Frequently asked questions about pollution, the restrictions in the low emissions zone (ZBE) and possible alternatives.

Questions about the ZBE

• What is the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona?

  The low emissions zone within Barcelona's ring roads (ZBE Rondes de Barcelona) is an area of more than 95 km² where traffic of the most polluting vehicles is restricted in order to protect the atmosphere, people's health and the environment.
  
  This area covers the entire municipality of Barcelona (except the Zona Franca and the neighbourhoods of Vallvidrera, Tibidabo and Les Planes), the municipality of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and part of the municipalities of Cornellà de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat and Sant Adrià de Besòs.

• Does it include the ring roads?

  No. The Ronda de Dalt and the Ronda Litoral are not subject to traffic restrictions. In other words, all vehicles (including the most polluting vehicles that are not eligible for the DGT environmental label) can use them. What the most polluting vehicles may not do is take an exit and travel through the streets of the city that fall within the ZBE

• When do the restrictions take effect?

  The ZBE Rondes de Barcelona is in force on a temporary basis between 1 December 2017 and 31 December 2019, and restrictions on traffic are only anticipated on days when an NO₂ environmental pollution event is declared.
  
  The traffic restrictions will be permanent as of 1 January 2020, and the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona will be in force from 7 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday.

• Why the ZBE?

  The aim of the ZBE is to reduce environmental pollution, and preserve and improve air quality and public health. It is one of the measures being taken to reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, and particularly nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM₁₀). The launch of the ZBE aims to reduce emissions of NO_x and PM₁₀ by up to 31 % and 39 % respectively.

• Which vehicles are affected by the restrictions?

  The most polluting vehicles, that is, those which cannot obtain an environmental label issued by the DGT (Zero, Eco, C and B), are not allowed to drive within the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona.
  
  More specifically, the vehicles affected by this restriction are private cars (M1), and motorcycles and mopeds (L), which do not have the DGT environmental label, that is to say:

  • Cars which run on petrol, manufactured before the EURO3 standard (typically those first registered before 2000) and cars which run on diesel, manufactured before the EURO4 standard (typically those first registered before 2005 or 2006).
  • Motorcycles and mopeds (L), manufactured before the Euro 2 standard (typically those first registered before 2003).
  • Vans (category N1) pre-Euro 3 petrol vans (typically registered before 2000) and pre-Euro 4 diesel vans (typically registered before 2005 or 2006).
  • Trucks (N2, N3) and small coaches (M2) up to Euro 4 standard (usually registered before 2006 or 2007).
  • Buses and coaches (M3) for collective transport before Euro 4 standard (usually registered before 2006 or 2007).

  Vehicles for people with reduced mobility, vehicles used by emergency services (police cars, fire engines, ambulances) and essential services (healthcare vehicles, funeral vehicles) that do not have an environmental label may drive in the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona, provided they are included in the Metropolitan Register.
  
  The most polluting private cars, motorcycles and mopeds that do not have the DGT environmental label can apply for single-day permits to drive in the ZBE, with a cap of 24 permits per year. The application must be submitted to AMB through the Metropolitan Register of foreign vehicles and other authorised vehicles.

• How can I find out what DGT environmental label my vehicle needs?

  You can check your vehicle's DGT environmental label on the websites of the Directorate General for Traffic (DGT) and AMB. Enter your registration number to find out if the traffic restrictions in the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona affect you.

• My vehicle meets the criteria for an environmental label, but I don't have the sticker. Where can I get one?

  If you own a vehicle classified as B, C, ECO or Zero, you can obtain the corresponding sticker at post offices (Oficina de Correus) or at an official agent. You can also obtain one at any mechanic who is a member of the official association Gremi de Tallers de Reparació d'Automòbils de Barcelona. For further details you can visit the DGT website or call the citizen attention number 060.

• Is it mandatory to attach the DGT environmental label to the vehicle? Can I be fined if I don't have it?

  Attaching the label is not mandatory, but it helps local police forces in Barcelona and the other municipalities when they are carrying out manual checks. So having it is advisable.
  
  Drivers travelling without the DGT label on their vehicle may be stopped by agents inside the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona. In these cases, the agents will check the vehicle's documentation and the license plate, and will check whether it is subject to traffic restrictions. 

• How are vehicles checked in the ZBE?

  This will take place automatically using cameras that will check license plates against the appropriate DGT environmental label, and with the Metropolitan register of foreign vehicles and other authorised vehicles.
  
  The automatic monitoring system, which has over 100 license plate-reading cameras at various points in the metropolitan area, will give the local authorities details of the vehicles identified in their territory, which are therefore subject to penalties.

• What are the penalties?

  Breach of the regulations established in the ordinances of the municipalities affected by the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona determines financial penalties of 200 euros.

  If the infraction is committed when the Government of Catalonia has declared an episode of air pollution, the amount of the fine is 260 euros.

• Do the restrictions apply to taxis?

  Yes, the restrictions also apply to taxis. Given that, by now, more than 30% of the vehicles is hybrid, electric or gas, the fleet of taxis is very clean, and it is estimated that the restrictions will not affect their activity.
  
  In the exercise of its competences, AMB will continue to work through the Metropolitan Taxi Institute (IMET) on its firm and serious commitment to improving the taxi fleet with regard to environmental criteria. In the period 2007–2016, the proportion of environmentally efficient vehicles (hybrid or gas) increased from 1% to over 30%. The metropolitan-level commitment to clean mobility includes the proposal to reduce the proportion of diesel-only taxis serving metropolitan cities to less than 50% by 2020, and to less than 33% by 2025. To achieve this, the authorisation of diesel-fuelled taxis has already been discontinued. 

• What is going to happen with foreign-registered vehicles?

  All vehicles that travel in the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona are subject to the same restrictions, regardless of the country of registration.
  
  In this regard, before you travel with a foreign vehicle in the ZBE, you must obtain authorisation through AMB's Metropolitan Registry of foreign vehicles and other authorised vehicles.
  
  For vehicles which have approval status equivalent to the criteria of the DGT's environmental labels, you can obtain a long-term authorisation, which allows them to drive in the ZBE for two years. In the case of the most polluting vehicles, i.e. those for which there is no corresponding DGT environmental label, you need to apply at AMB for an extraordinary single-day (24-hour) permit. You may obtain a maximum of 24 of such permits per year.
  
  Consequently, this metropolitan scheme applies the same regulations to foreign-registered vehicles as to other vehicles.

• Are vehicles without an environmental label really more polluting?

  Yes, those vehicles that do not have an environmental label are indeed the most polluting ones. The Directorate-General for Traffic has set up the labelling system in accordance with the National Plan for Air Quality and Protection of the Atmosphere 2013–2016, drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment. The system is based on the emissions regulations — Euro technology — and the type of fuel. 
  
  There is extensive scientific evidence that demonstrates that vehicles without an environmental label generate higher levels of emissions of local pollutants (PM and NOx). In 2017, Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and Barcelona City Council carried out a study on the actual number of vehicles that drive in the metropolis every day. This served to calculate the environmental impact on air quality under real traffic conditions. It was determined that vehicles with an environmental label from the DGT produce between 32% and 80% of the NO2 emissions, and between 69% and 94% of the PM emissions that vehicles without a label produce.
  
  Recently, in November 2019, an article by the independent Spanish consumer organisation OCU asserted that 15% of the cars, those which do not have an environmental label, are responsible for 50% of all emissions.

• Is diesel the most polluting fuel?

  In the 1990s, the European strategy to reduce greenhouse gases (especially CO?) decided to foucus on more efficient vehicles that consumed less. This meant that diesel engines became the most widely sold ones by the end of the decade. While it is true that diesel engines emit less CO2 than petrol engines, their discharge of other very harmful components — suspended particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) — is actually higher. According to calculations by the Catalan government, a private car running on petrol and manufactured before the Euro 1 standard (more than 20 years old) emits 58 times more NO2 than a new one. Taking a single diesel vehicle of over 20 years old off the road would be equivalent to taking 35 comparable modern vehicles off the road. 

• Do I have the right to drive wherever I want?

  The Motor Vehicle Traffic Act gives local authorities the power to implement various kinds of measures, such as traffic restrictions, pedestrian areas, and areas with resident-access only. All of these are fully compatible with the right to mobility or movement of persons.

• Are vehicles without an environmental label really more polluting?

  Yes, those vehicles that do not have an environmental label are indeed the most polluting ones. The Directorate-General for Traffic has set up the labelling system in accordance with the National Plan for Air Quality and Protection of the Atmosphere 2013–2016, drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment. The system is based on the emissions regulations — Euro technology — and the type of fuel. 
  
  There is extensive scientific evidence that demonstrates that vehicles without an environmental label generate higher levels of emissions of local pollutants (PM and NOx). In 2017, Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and Barcelona City Council carried out a study on the actual number of vehicles that drive in the metropolis every day. This served to calculate the environmental impact on air quality under real traffic conditions. It was determined that vehicles with an environmental label from the DGT produce between 32% and 80% of the NO2 emissions, and between 69% and 94% of the PM emissions that vehicles without a label produce.
  
  Recently, in November 2019, an article by the independent Spanish consumer organisation OCU asserted that 15% of the cars, those which do not have an environmental label, are responsible for 50% of all emissions.

• Is diesel the most polluting fuel?

  In the 1990s, the European strategy to reduce greenhouse gases (especially CO?) decided to foucus on more efficient vehicles that consumed less. This meant that diesel engines became the most widely sold ones by the end of the decade. While it is true that diesel engines emit less CO2 than petrol engines, their discharge of other very harmful components — suspended particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) — is actually higher. According to calculations by the Catalan government, a private car running on petrol and manufactured before the Euro 1 standard (more than 20 years old) emits 58 times more NO2 than a new one. Taking a single diesel vehicle of over 20 years old off the road would be equivalent to taking 35 comparable modern vehicles off the road. 

• Do I have the right to drive wherever I want?

  The Motor Vehicle Traffic Act gives local authorities the power to implement various kinds of measures, such as traffic restrictions, pedestrian areas, and areas with resident-access only. All of these are fully compatible with the right to mobility or movement of persons.

• Why does my vehicle have no DGT label if I take it through vehicle emissions checks and MOTs?

  In order to be considered roadworthy, vehicles must first comply with the European Union regulations regarding official approval and registration at all times. Among other technical issues, these regulations establish limits for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. The compulsory regular MOT inspections check that each vehicle's emissions meet the originally approved limits, or, in other words, they have not changed since the vehicle left the factory, among other issues.
  
  The pollutant emission limits for new vehicles that are officially approved and registered in the European Union have been significantly reduced in recent years, thanks to improvements in anti-pollution technologies. This means that although they can successfully pass the emissions checks carried out during mandatory regular MOT inspections, older vehicles had emissions limits that were more lax than those that are currently applied to newer vehicles, and they may therefore have potentially higher emissions levels.
  
  Some very old vehicles, such as those with diesel engines and with license plates prior to 1 January 1980, are exempt from emissions checks.

• Do the measures restricting the most polluting vehicles discriminate against economically disadvantaged groups?

  Restricting the most polluting vehicles affects people with higher incomes, since they have more vehicles and their lifestyle makes them more dependent on private vehicles. The 2016 survey on mobility on working days shows that households in lower income neighbourhoods have fewer cars (including old ones) and use their cars and motorcycles less often than those in higher income neighbourhoods, who have more cars (including old ones) and use cars and motorcycles to travel more frequently.

• Can I drive my vehicle if I have reduced mobility?

  Yes, vehicles without an environmental badge for people with reduced mobility (VPMR) can obtain authorisation to circulate.
  It is necessary to register the vehicle only once in the Metropolitan Register of foreign vehicles and other vehicles authorised in the AMB low emission zone.
  
  The following groups are entitled to VPMR authorisations: vehicles dedicated to the transport of persons with reduced mobility and collective transport of persons with reduced mobility.
  
  Further information

• As of 2020, can I drive in the ZBE with a historic vehicle?

  No. Vehicles that are considered historic are subject to the same restrictions as other vehicles. To drive in the ZBE, you can request a special single-day (24-hour) permit from AMB's Metropolitan Register of Foreign Vehicles and other Authorised Vehicles. You may obtain a maximum of 24 of such permits per year.
  
  Vehicle owners may apply for single-day permits for one vehicle only.

• What alternatives does the Administration offer me, if I have a vehicle without an environmental label?

  The T-verda is a public transport pass that enables you to travel free of charge, for a period of three years, on all ATM transport services, in exchange for scrapping a vehicle that is considered to be highly polluting. This public transport pass can be used in all six zones of the integrated metropolitan public transport area. The T-verda pass is managed by AMB-Informació for the 36 municipalities that make up the metropolitan area, and by the Catalan government for all the other municipalities in the six-zone area.
  
  You can benefit from this scheme if you deregister and scrap a polluting vehicle and do not acquire a new vehicle during the three-year period the T-verda pass is valid. To be granted the pass, you must prove that you are of legal age, that you are registered as living in the area covered by the services of ATM Barcelona, and that you were the owner of a polluting vehicle for which the vehicle tax was payable in any of the municipalities in the metropolitan area. The pass must be renewed annually. As a pass holder, you may transfer the use of the pass, one time only, to another member of your family unit. The pass is issued and renewed free of charge at the customer attention centres established by AMB for the residents of the 36 metropolitan municipalities, or at the Association of Municipalities with Urban Transport (AMTU) for the rest of the area covered by ATM services.
  
  This scheme applies to vehicles that have been scrapped up to 6 months before you apply for the T-verda. The vehicles covered by the scheme are:

  • Private cars, diesel; typically those first registered before 2006
  • Private cars, petrol or gas; typically those first registered before 2000
  • Motorbikes; typically those first registered before 1 July 2004
  • Mopeds; typically those first registered before 17 June 2002

  More information and the application procedure

• What about professional vehicles that do not have the DGT environmental label?

  The by-laws establish different ways of registering professional vehicles without an environmental sticker: because they are special service vehicles, because they have a specific municipal authorisation, or because their owners are close to retirement age.
  
  Special service vehicles: vehicles that have been adapted and approved to provide a special service or activity in the ZBEs of the Barcelona metropolitan area, as set out in the municipal by-laws.
  
  Information and registration
  
  Activities with municipal authorisation: vehicles with specific municipal authorisation for special activities or extraordinary events on public roads that do not have an environmental sticker can apply for registration in the Register in order to be able to circulate in the EPZs.
  
  Information and registration
  
  Professionals close to retirement age: Owners of vehicles without an environmental badge with approval category M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 (vans, lorries, coaches and buses) that constitute a necessary element for the exercise of their professional activity, and those who are missing a maximum of 5 years of contributions to reach the legal age of retirement, can apply for registration in the Register and have a temporary authorisation to be able to circulate within the EPZs.
  
  Information and registration

• What can I do if, for my journeys, my only option is to use the private vehicle?

  If the only option you have is to travel in a private vehicle, you may consider the possibility of sharing the least polluting car available with other people travelling the same route: you will be reducing polluting emissions and your journey will be more pleasant and economical. There are also companies that offer ecological vehicles for sharing schemes or to rent. Combine this option with public transport whenever you can: there are plenty of car parks available next to public transport stops.
  
  The public transport network of the city of Barcelona and the metropolitan area is constantly being improved to meet the needs of the population. You can consult the public transport travel options on the municipal website Com s'hi va, on the AMB website On vols anar? or on the platform Mou-te managed by the Catalan Government.

• What incentives are available for less polluting mobility?
  • Private cars, diesel; typically those first registered before 2006
  • The public administrations offer several options to stimulate a more sustainable mobility, with subsidies for the purchase of low emission vehicles, support for fleets of vehicles and rebates on taxes, tolls and other fees related to mobility.
    • Concession fares on public transport
    • Rebates of up to 75% on the local vehicle tax (IVTM)
    • Discounts on fees for regulated on-street parking and at charging points for electric vehicles
    • Incentives for the purchase of alternative energy vehicles for use in the transport sector (taxi, goods transport) and for private use
    • Registration fee (vehicles for persons with disabilities, vehicles with more than nine seats, among others)
    • Discounts on toll charges on motorways manged by the Catalan Government
    • Access to BUS-VAO lanes (for buses and high occupancy vehicles)

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Questions about air pollution

• Does air pollution affect public health?

  Yes, air pollution has a significant impact on the health of all the metropolitan area's citizens. While our air quality is slowly improving, air pollution remains the greatest threat to environmental health in the metropolitan area. According to the latest report from the European Environment Agency (EEA, 2018), atmospheric pollution is directly responsible for more than 500,000 premature deaths in Europe every year.

• How good is the air in the metropolitan area?

  The levels of pollution in the metropolitan area exceed the maximum pollution thresholds for NO₂ and PM₁₀ established by the EU and the World Health Organization, and this is a major threat to public health.

• What effects does pollution have on people's health?

  According to the European Environment Agency and the World Health Organization, pollution affects health in terms of: effects on the central nervous system (PM), asthma and reduced pulmonary function (PM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PM), effects on the reproductive system (PM), effects on the liver, spleen and blood (NO₂), lung cancer (NO₂ and BaP) and cardiovascular effects (PM, SO₃ and O₃), among others. 

• What do the scientists say?

  High levels of air pollution thresholds have direct effects on people's health, which the scientific community has estimated at over 3,000 premature deaths per year in the metropolitan area. In fact, the most recent report on the state of health in Barcelona was presented last November, and it stated that lung cancer is now the premier cause of premature death among women. It also said that 70 % of the population was exposed to levels of NO₂ higher than those recommended by WHO and the EU.
  
  The evidence linking health and pollution has increased exponentially in recent years. In more specific terms, studies relate air pollution to various pathologies:

  • A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) says that expanding bicycle lane networks in cities could provide considerable benefits for health and the economy. More specifically, expanding bike lanes in European cities could prevent up to 10,000 premature deaths. In Barcelona, 248 premature deaths would be prevented every year if all the city's streets had a cycling infrastructure: Study on the expansion of bicycle lanes
  • According to a study by the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), the Hospital del Mar and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), high levels of pollution increase the risk of an atherothrombotic stroke by 20%: Conclusions of the study
  • Experts in the field of cardiovascular diseases at the Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus and the CIBER Campus (CIBERCV) carried out a study that shows that on the days when air pollution levels are at their highest in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, there are more heart attacks: Pollution and heart attacks
  • The Lancet Commission on pollution and health reported that pollution caused 23,987 deaths in Spain in 2015, which means 1 death out of every 17: Full article
  • A large-scale epidemiological study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the American Cancer Society links some air pollutants with mortality due to kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer. The research tracked more than 600,000 adults for 22 years (from 1982 to 2004) and related mortality due to 29 types of cancer with residential exposure to three environmental pollutants: PM_2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃): Cancer and air pollution
  • The most recent study by ISGlobal in Barcelona shows that an increase in PM₁₀ of 5 ?g/m³ in air breathed leads to the loss of almost one year of life (Environment International, 2016): Relationship between life expectancy and pollution
  • The BREATHE Project found a negative effect on the development of children experiencing pollution in schools, and higher rates of hyperactivity and attention deficit among adolescents (Environment International, 2016): BREATHE project
  • Air pollution is the cause of several cerebrovascular pathologies such as strokes and cardiovascular accidents (WHO), degenerative diseases (Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2015) and various mental health problems (JAMA Psychiatry, January 2013).
  • There is plenty of evidence for its effects on the respiratory system, including lung cancer (WHO), pneumonia (WHO), various pulmonary disorders (Thorax, 2009, 64) and chronic lung obstructions (WHO).
  • Various studies have been carried out on the impact on the reproductive system (CREAL-ISGlobal) and on coronary heart conditions (Circulation, 2010; WHO). 
• Don't industries, ships and planes pollute more?

  Industries, ships and planes also generate pollution. However, in terms of public health, and with regard to the quality of the air that we citizens breathe, it should be pointed out that in the most densely developed urban areas, 80% of the pollution is produced by surface transport. 

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Questions about permits

• What is the Metropolitan Register of Authorisations?

  The Metropolitan Register of Foreign Vehicles and Other Authorised Vehicles (henceforth ZBE Register of Authorisations) is a service for the processing of permits for vehicles to drive within the LEZ of the metropolis of Barcelona (in Catalan, ZBE de la metròpolis de Barcelona), according to the regulations in force..
  
  If you own a vehicle that does not have an environmental label, or if you own a foreign-registered vehicle, the service enables you to obtain information about, apply for and manage — mainly through digital means — the different types of permits to drive in the restricted areas.

• What kinds of permits are there?

  The AMB has deployed the Metropolitan Register of foreign vehicles and other authorised vehicles in the ZBE Rondas de Barcelona.
  
  This digital register serves to centralise authorisations. Specifically, the Regulation that covers it determines 12 types of authorisation categories:

  1. Vehicles dedicated to the transport of persons with reduced mobility (VPMR): this affects drivers of VPMR and collective transport of persons with reduced mobility.
  2. Emergency and essential services vehicles: this affects vehicles providing medical services, funeral services, civil protection, fire brigades, police and state security forces.
  3. Special service vehicles: affects adapted vehicles providing special services and requiring temporary access to EPZs.
  4. Foreign vehicles: affects vehicles with foreign number plates. Those who meet the technological requirements for access to the EPZs will obtain a long-term authorisation to circulate within them. Those who do not have equivalence with any environmental badge of the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) may apply for up to 10 daily authorisations per year.
  5. Daily authorisations: this applies to all types of vehicles that need sporadic access to the EPZs in the Barcelona metropolis.
  6. People with illnesses or disabilities that restrict their use of public transport: vehicles for people diagnosed with illnesses that restrict their use of public transport and who need to travel by private vehicle.
  7. People undergoing periodic medical treatment: vehicles for people diagnosed with illnesses that require periodic medical treatment at health centres located in the Barcelona metropolitan area's LEZs.
  8. Vehicles being tested in repair workshops: vehicle maintenance and repair workshops can request authorisation to test vehicles in their custody or move the vehicles to an ITV station.
  9. Moratorium on replacement: affects vehicles without an environmental sticker that are replaced by a new motor vehicle that meets the technological and emissions requirements for access to the EPZs.
  10. Activities with municipal authorisation: this affects vehicles with authorisation from local councils for special activities (works or occupation of public roads, etc.).
  11. Vehicles belonging to people on low incomes: owners of vehicles without an environmental sticker on low incomes can apply for registration in the Register and obtain a temporary authorisation to drive within the EPZs.
  12. Vehicles of professionals close to retirement age: owners of vehicles without environmental badge with M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 type-approval category (vans, lorries, coaches and buses) that are necessary for the exercise of their professional activity, and who are missing a maximum of 5 years of contributions to reach the legal retirement age, can apply for registration in the Register and have a temporary authorisation to circulate within the EPZs.
• Can I drive in the ZBE occasionally with my polluting vehicle?

  If you own a vehicle that is affected by the restrictions, you can apply for a single-day permit which allows you to drive in the low emissions zones (ZBE) of the metropolis of Barcelona on the day of your choice. You can request up to 24 of these permits per year.

• How can I apply for the single-day permits?

  You need to request inclusion in the ZBE Register of Authorisations only once. To do this, the owner of the vehicle must submit an application form to the Metropolitan Register.
  
  Once your application has been accepted, you can activate and pay the single-day permits from the user area on the registration website. A single-day permit can be activated up until 11.59 p.m. on the day before. You can also request and pay single-day permits at any post office (Correos), with the corresponding management cost. Exceptionally, single-day permits can be requested in person (by prior appointment) at the metropolitan Citizen Attention Office (OAC).
  
  Information and register

• Can I modify or cancel requested single-day permits?

  Already requested and paid single-day permits can be modified, but cannot be cancelled. You can modify your data, add information, request new permits and sign them through the user area with your user number and password.

• How can I apply for authorisation for vehicles for persons with reduced mobility (VPRM)?

  The following vehicles may obtain a VPRM authorisation: vehicles for persons with reduced mobility and vehicles for collective transport for persons with reduced mobility.
  
  You need to request inclusion in the ZBE Register of Authorisations only once. To do this, the owner of the vehicle must submit an application form to the Metropolitan Register.
  
  Information and register

• How can I apply for an authorisation for vehicles that provide essential services?

  You can apply for an authorisation to drive in the low emissions zones (ZBE) of the metropolis of Barcelona with vehicles used to provide health care services and funeral services, and with fire engines, and vehicles used by the police, civil protection agencies and national security forces. Those vehicles will be able to access the ZBE while the authorisation is in force.
  
  The application for registration must be submitted by the legal representative of the competent public authority for each of the services, or by an authorised person, or the vehicles must be registered at the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) with the classification by vehicle usage or service criteria coincident with the services described above.
  
  You need to request inclusion in the ZBE Register of Authorisations only once. To do this, the owner of the vehicle must submit an application form to the ZBE Register of Authorisations.
  
  Information and register

• How can I apply for a permit for a foreign-registered vehicle?

  Vehicles that are registered in any country other than Spain are not classified according to the criteria for the environmental label issued by the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT). Therefore, all these vehicles need to be registered before they can drive in the low emissions zones (ZBE) of the metropolis of Barcelona.
  
  You can apply for a long-term permit for a car you own, if you can prove that it meets the equivalent technological standards:

  1. Motorbikes and mopeds and other light vehicles in category L, that have been classified as 'Euro 2' or higher (typically those first registered after 2003).
  2. Private cars (M1) classified as 'electric', or 'petrol Euro 3' (typically those first registered after 2000) or higher, or as 'diesel Euro 4' or higher (typically those first registered after 2005).
  3. Lorries (N2, N3), buses and coaches (M2, M3): 'electric', 'diesel Euro 4' or higher (typically those first registered after 2005).
  4. By way of exception, during the grace period stated in the bylaws, commercial vehicles, buses and coaches are granted a permit, even when they do not meet the environmental standards.

  You will need to provide documentation specifying the owner of the vehicle, the number plate, the vehicle type category, the type of fuel and the Euro emissions category.
  
  If your vehicle does not meet the environmental requirements for driving in the ZBE of the metropolis of Barcelona, you can still apply for single-day permits (up to 24 daily permits per year).
  
  Information and register

• How can I apply for a permit for persons undergoing periodic medical treatments?

  Persons undergoing periodic medical treatments in health centres located within the low emissions zones (ZBE) of the metropolis of Barcelona can apply for inclusion of a vehicle in the ZBE Register of Authorisations. It is not mandatory that applicants are actually the owners of the vehicle, but it will only be granted one vehicle authorisation per applicant.
  
  You can submit the application by filling out the form on the website, by traditional post office mail, in-person at the Metropolitan citizen attention office, or at several local citizen attention offices.
  
  Once compliance with the requirements has been verified, you will be notified of the decision (accepted, denied, or returned as incomplete) within a period of 15 days.
  
  Information and register

• How can I apply for a permit for persons diagnosed with illnesses limiting their use of public transport?

  Persons diagnosed with illnesses limiting their use of public transport can apply for inclusion in the ZBE Register of Authorisations. It is not mandatory that applicants are actually the owners of the vehicle, but it only will be granted one vehicle authorisation per applicant. 
  
  You can submit the application by filling out the form on the website, by traditional post office mail, in-person at the Metropolitan citizen attention office, or at several local citizen attention offices.
  
  Once compliance with the requirements has been verified, you will be notified of the decision (accepted, denied, or returned as incomplete) within a period of 15 days.
  
  Information and register

• How do I apply for the moratorium on repossession?

  Vehicle owners who can provide proof of purchase of a new motor vehicle that meets the technological and emissions requirements for access to the EPZs in the Barcelona metropolitan area may be granted temporary authorisation for access to the EPZs in the Barcelona metropolitan area until the new vehicle is delivered.
  
  Information and register

• How do I apply for authorisation for low-income vehicles?

  Owners of vehicles without an environmental sticker with an annual income of less than twice the Public Multiple Income Indicator (IPREM) can apply for registration in the Register and obtain a temporary authorisation to drive in the ZBE.
  
  Further information

• How do I apply for authorisation for professionals close to retirement age?

  Owners of vehicles without an environmental sticker with M2, M3, N1, N2 and N3 type-approval category (vans, lorries, coaches and buses) that constitute a necessary element for the exercise of their professional activity, and those who do not have a maximum of 5 years of contributions to reach the legal retirement age, can apply for registration in the Register and obtain a temporary authorisation to be able to circulate within the ZBE.
  
  Further information

• How to apply for an authorisation for vehicles under test in car workshops?

  Car workshops shall apply for an authorisation in order to carry out necessary tests to vehicles under custody or to move the vehicle to an ITV station (vehicle inspection station). The repairer –not the user or owner of the vehicle– is in charge of requesting the authorisation.
  
  The car workshop shall be located in a municipality included in the low emissions zone and must be registered on the DGT's (Directorate-General for Traffic) Electronic workshop book platform, where all data of the vehicle under test is to be recorded. This allows to move the vehicle until the repair is complete, and for 7 days maximum (although this period can be extended if needed).
  
  Information and register

• What happens if I need to use a vehicle in an emergency situation?

  Exceptionally, in case of a medical emergency, you can apply for a permit afterwards, within a period of three days, including the day you accessed the low emissions zones. The vehicle may be fined, but you can appeal against the fine if you can provide proof of the medical emergency along with the confirmation of the granting of the daily permit.

• Are any fees charged for the authorisations?

  The fiscal bylaw of AMB considers two kinds of authorisations, based on cost: authorisations that are free of charge and authorisations with a specific cost.
  
  The authorisations that are free of charge include vehicles for persons with reduced mobility (VPRM), vehicles used to provide services (healthcare services, funeral services, fire engines, and vehicles used by the police, civil protection agencies and national security forces). Temporary authorisations for special activities or vehicles are also free of charge. While none of these vehicles are required to pay a fee, they do need to be included in the ZBE Register of Authorisations to avoid being fined.
  
  Authorisations for which a fee is payable are subdivided into two categories which may complement each other and take into account cases of persons with low income.

  • Single-day permits, up to 10 permits per year, for those vehicles that cannot obtain an environmental label from the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT). Each single-day permit to drive in the low emissions zones (ZBE) of the metropolis of Barcelona has an associated fee, revisable, annually published. From January 2022 cost of day permits are 5€ for cars and motorcycles and 6€ for vans, lorries, coaches and buses. However, reduced prices have been established for persons who live inside the ZBE areas and have low incomes. If you own a polluting vehicle (L, M1 or N1 without the DGT environmental label) that is registered in the area of ZBE of the metropolis of Barcelona and you can prove that your personal income is lower than 2 times the current IPREM index (the official Spanish reference index for income), the cost of the fee is €2.00. Single-day permits are free of charge if your income is lower than 1.1 times the current IPREM index.

  • Permits for foreign-registered vehicles (non-Spanish), those not having the environmental label set by the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT). For vehicles complying with the same technological requirements that apply to vehicles registered in Spain to drive inside the low emissions zones of the metropolis of Barcelona, an administration fee of €7.00 is payable for a verification procedure and for registration to the ZBE Register of Authorisations. Once registered, vehicles are allowed to freely drive inside the ZBE of the metropolis of Barcelona. Foreign vehicles that don't comply with the above-mentioned requirements must request inscription to the Register under the category of single-day permits (registration with no cost associated). Once they are included in the Register, they can apply for single-day permits (up to 24 permits per year) and pay the corresponding fee: €5/authorisation for cars and motorcycles, and €6/authorisation for vans, lorries, coaches and buses
• How can I digitally sign an application for inclusion in the ZBE Register of Authorisations?

  To complete an application submitted through the from on the website, you will need to sign it with a digital ID. The accepted certificates are:

  1. For natural persons: idCAT Mòbil, idCAT, Cl@ve PIN, Cl@ve permanente, DNI electrónico and electronic certificates such as that issued by the FNMT (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre).
  2. For legal persons: electronic certificates such as that issued by the FNMT (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre).
• How can I file an appeal or a plea against a traffic fine for driving inside the low emissions zones of the metropolis of Barcelona?

  Appeals or pleas against a penalty for driving a vehicle without an environmental label or without a circulation authorisation inside the low emissions zones of the metropolis of Barcelona can be filed through the means established by the issuing municipality.
  
  Established means for filing an appeal or plea, by municipality:
  
  Barcelona
  Cornellà de Llobregat
  Esplugues de Llobregat
  L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
  Sant Adrià de Besòs

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